Mary Isabel Ford MacDermott

Mary Isabel Ford MacDermott, age 95, of Wilmington, DE, passed away on November 16, 2017 at the Compassionate Care Hospice at St. Francis. She died from injuries sustained in a fall at her home.

Isabel was born in 1922 in Youngstown, Ohio. She was the second of four children born to John and Dorothy Ford. Her stories about growing up revolve around horseback riding, sailing and summers in North Port Point, Michigan with her sister and two brothers. She attended Wells College and graduated with a degree in Chemistry in 1942. She was hired as the first female chemist at the DuPont Bell Works in Charlestown, West Virginia, where she met and married the love of her life, Charles (Mac) Prager MacDermott.

Of all of Isabel’s many passions and accomplishments, she was most proud of her five daughters (Jane MacDermott Higgins, Kathleen Ann MacDermott, Mary MacDermott MacKinnon, Amy Brandt MacDermott and Laura MacDermott Gangloff), their husbands – who she considered her sons (Don Higgins, David Webster, Ian MacKinnon, Ira Schieren and Clinton Gangloff), their children (Morgan Law and his wife Kathleen, Patrick Law, Amy Webster, Sarah Webster, Charles MacKinnon, Kelley MacKinnon, Samuel Schieren, Lucas Anderson and Noah Anderson) and finally, more recently, a child (Huckleberry Law). Isabel’s arms were always open to family and she accepted everyone’s friend as her own. She boasted that she had more grand dogs than grandchildren.

Isabel and Mac moved to Wilmington in 1956 and she has been on top of her game ever since. An avid Catholic of devout faith, Isabel has been a parishioner at St. Joseph on the Brandywine since 1958. She was involved in many charities, most notably Help-A-Family, and served as a Eucharistic Minister. In addition, she volunteered at St. Francis Hospital for many years and gave extensively to the Limen House. A creative craftswoman, Isabel’s needlepoint is featured at St. Joseph’s and fills the homes of her children, grandchildren and great grandchild.

Until his death in 2004, Mac and Isabel led active lives with first tennis and then golf as prominent centerpieces. They traveled extensively and followed the sun year round to experience some of the world’s most beautiful golf courses. For the last 13 years, Isabel has been devoted to her social network at Stonegates and will be profoundly missed by all of her friends there.

Isabel’s daughters would like to thank the staff of St. Francis Hospital and Compassionate Care Hospice for making her last few days so comfortable and for supporting her so lovingly. When she left us, she was a deeply happy woman, delighted to be reuniting with her Mac.

A Funeral Mass will be offered at 2:00 pm on Monday November 20, 2017 at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church. A reception will follow Mass at Stonegates, 4031 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, Delaware. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers and in the spirit of her generous heart, Isabel would like donations sent to the Ministry of Caring, 115 E. 14^th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.